


An Alternate Beginning

by Agent_Dawn_Fire



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-14 17:16:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9195743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agent_Dawn_Fire/pseuds/Agent_Dawn_Fire
Summary: What if Peggy Carter (and Daniel Sousa, Michael Carter etc.) were picked up by Nick Fury and recruited to a teenage SSR academy/orphanage? What if love blossomed between Peggy and Daniel, not in their late twenties, but in the awkward teen years?





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A LOT of liberties have been taken with this fanfic. It takes place in a partially alternative universe to the MCU. I've tried my best to stick to basic facts, but the respective ages of respective characters (not to mention lots of other things) are totally out of whack. Please bear in mind that this is my first attempt at a fanfic :-)

The men break into the house as the mantlepiece clock strikes eleven. They smash the front door down and break windows. Silence is not necessary; there are only four Carters and at least fifteen men. Two of the Carters are wide-eyed children, one clutching the other's hand and holding back tears. Therefore, even England's top agents couldn't stand a chance against their force, particularly when each man is armed with multiple sets of pistols and vicious-looking knives. 

"Michael," Amanda Carter whispers to her eldest and only son. "Take Peggy and go."  
"But mum-" Michael protests as she begins to pull a knife from inside her jacket. They hide in the kitchen, the furthest end of the house from the front door.  
"Michael, your dad and I will be fine." She bends down to look him square in the face. "You have to look after your sister." Michael lets one tear fall down his face and then nods, in a military style, agreeing to the task his mother is requesting. He takes the knife. Amanda then turns to her daughter and immediately receives a hug. She runs her fingers through her daughter's bouncy curls and then holds her out at arm's length. Margaret Carter's intelligent mind has already worked out what was happening and she therefore doesn't protest as her mother hands her another, smaller knife.

"Go under the tunnel and then turn east. Find Stockland St and wait for a man in an eye patch."  
"Fury?" Michael asks. Mrs Carter smiles at her son's impressive memory, but this is soon wiped away by the sound of open fire in her living room. Her husband has already started the fight. Her tone now becoming urgent, she says "Ask him where he first met me, and if he answers 'At Parkland Avenue, as I was trying to pickpocket him' then go with him. He'll keep you safe."  
"And if it isn't him?"  
Amanda grimaces, and then pulls them in for a final hug. As they finally pull away, she says to Michael, "Then run like hell."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The tunnel stinks of rotten fruit and dead things. Michael holds his sister's hand tightly as they walk quickly along in the darkness. He knows his sister is frightened, and that makes him even more scared. His sister has a heart of steel, and has already punched a boy at school after he called Michael a 'wimp'. Now, she just shivers and clutches the knife his mother gave her. He notes that she is holding it just like he once saw his father hold it, as he prepared to cut into a roast chicken.

"Michael?" She now says, her voice infinitesimal in the darkness.  
"Here, Peggy." He comforts. "Not long now." The statement isn't just comforting; he can see a light in the distance. As they reach it, he realizes it's a ladder and far above is a manhole. "Peggy, you go first. I'll catch if you fall." His sister begins to climb, one hand after the other, and once she's on the eighth rung he starts up. Michael's impressed by her steel; she doesn't shake as she climbs, and only pauses once. Once she reaches the top, Peggy waits for him and he stretches up to the slit of air and pushes hard. The cover shifts under his hands and then lifts. Peggy puts her small hands next to his and together they shove it up and out of the way.

Once out in the street, the two children start walking in the direction their mother instructed. It's dark, and the streetlights are few and far between. When they pass a suspicious bundle of rags on the side of the road, Michael brings out his knife and pulls Peggy close. She looks up at his face, and sees the same fear on his face as she feels. "Mich-" she starts, but doesn't finish. They've turned down a street and up ahead is a signpost for Stockland Street. Instead of a man with an eye patch, four men stand, and they quickly surround the children.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Michael immediately places Peggy behind him, which is hard to do since they are surrounded. Somehow, she is already clutching her knife. Michael throws back his shoulders and says in (what he hopes is) a steady voice "We would like to pass." One of the men sniggers and another steps forward. He holds a wicked-looking knife and smiles sadistically at the children.  
"We'll let you pass, my lovelies, if you'll just come with us."  
"No thanks." Peggy says, her brother surprised at her boldness.  
"I'm afraid that wasn't a voluntary offer." As a second man steps forward, Michael sweeps forward and catches him off guard. He yells at Peggy to run, but she is facing two of the thugs herself, and would never leave him besides. Michael manages to stick his knife in the vague viscinity of the man's chest but the first man is behind him and deals a vicious blow to the back of his head. He falls to the pavement and lies still.

"Michael!" Peggy screams, as she sidesteps the man closest to her and brings her knife close to his face. But a little girl of merely eleven stands no chance against four broad-chested men, and she is quickly overcome. As a bag is brought over her head she hears a muffled grunt and is suddenly thrust to the side. She pulls the bag off her head and faces a entirely different scene. Her captors lie on the cobblestones, all dead or incapacitated. Most are covered in blood. Behind the men stands a man with an eye patch.

Peggy's first port of call is her brother, who she now runs to. He is already conscious, and smiles slightly when he sees her face. When he tries to sit up, a boy of about 15 appears. He has brown hair and brown eyes of almost the same shade. "You really shouldn't do that, mister. You probably have a concussion." He looks at Peggy. "Hello miss. I'm Edwin Jarvis." He extends his hand. After studying his face and deeming it safe, she takes his hand in a firm grip and shakes. She then stands up and turns to the man. "I'm Nick Fury." He says.  
"Prove it." Says Peggy. "Where did you first meet Amanda Carter?" 

Fury smiles at her boldness, and then says "At Parkland Avenue, as she was trying to pickpocket me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I make no promises about when I'll upload new chapters, but please rest assured in that I'll try my absolute best to post as soon as I can.
> 
> I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes. It would be great if you could point out any that are glaringly obvious!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos on the last chapter! It really makes my day.

The Stark Manor is the biggest home either of the Carters had ever seen. It towers into the sky, and spreads stone tentacles across a massive lawn. Behind the main building stands another, longer space which houses multiple personal planes and other vehicles. Fury drives the Chevrolet sedan into this building and turns off the engine. Edwin Jarvis quickly hops out of the front and holds the door open for Peggy, who steps out uncertainly and then turns to stare at the planes. Michael follows after her, and grins at his sister's amazement. He was fascinated by all vehicles at an early age but has ceased to display quite this level of wonderment. Edwin notices her gaze and says "I'm sure Master Stark would be happy to show you around here, if he's not busy."  
"Is he the owner of this place?" Asks Michael.  
"Oh no, it's his father's. Although, well, it was his father's I guess." Edwin trails off.

"It is Howard's place now, but since he's only 14, the bank is holding on to it." Fury explains. He starts walking towards the main house, and the children follow. Michael and Peggy are quite far behind, and Michael has a chance to talk to his sister alone. "Are you OK Peggy?" He asks, turning to his now blank-faced sister. She only nods, which is a worrying sign. She bites her lip. That is even worse.

Michael stops walking and bends down, much like how his mother did only earlier that night. "Peggy," he says, looking directly into her eyes. They don't reflect bright tones like normal; instead they are dull and lifeless. She stares back at Michael, and then without warning she falls forward into his arms. He wraps them around her shaking form, and says nothing. He knows her intelligent mind doesn't need verbal comforts. Adult-like though it is, she is still a child emotionally and the past few hours had worn even his stoney resolve down. If he didn't have his sister to worry about, Michael was pretty sure he would be crying his heart out as well.

After a while, he notices the shakes have subsided and he cautiously draws back from her embrace. He pulls out a grubby handkerchief from his pocket and wipes at Peggy's tears. "Thank you Michael." She whispers in a choked voice. He gives her another brief hug and then says "So, shall we follow the others? Edwin seems like a nice boy. I think he's taken quite a fancy to you…" Peggy gives her brother a shove, as is her customery reply to Michael's jokes. He pats her head fondly, and they start walking towards the house of Howard Stark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Howard, as it turns out, isn't busy and is waiting at the front door for the new arrivals. He smiles sweetly at Peggy, punches Edwin on the arm (to which he replies "Master Stark." in a steady tone), salutes Fury in an ironic fashion and gives Michael a hearty hand shake. Once this ritual is completed, he promptly turns around and disappears back into the house. Edwin Jarvis opens the front door and stands back to allow Peggy to enter first. She does, with Michael close behind, and the door is shut again once Fury is through. Nick Fury is tempted to call Howard back, but noticing the childrens' exhausted looks, he simply asks Edwin to show them to a spare room and disappears himself.

"Would you like a room with a pool or garden view?" Asks Edwin, a beaming smile on his face. He loves showing people around the house, but particularly he likes to show them the collection of master suites. Michael answers for the pair. He picks a garden view, knowing his sister's love of flowers. Edwin turns around and beckons them to follow.

"There are 22 separate bedrooms in this mansion, 14 master bathrooms, an outdoor and indoor pool, a cinema…" Michael listens interestedly, but Peggy is already asleep on her feet. Her brother half-carries her into the bedroom picked out for them. The two enormous beds lie next to each other, with a tasteful wardrobe and matching side tables. Her normal appreciation of such choices dimmed by fatigue, Peggy only has time to give her brother a sleepy kiss on the cheek before she slides into a deep sleep. Michael lies her on one of the soft beds, and when remembering her tendency to awake scared when not in usual surroundings, he slips in next to Peggy and closes his eyes. Her slow breathing quickly lulls him to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
News comes of the death of Amanda and Harrison Carter only two days later.

The Carter siblings spend the days before wandering the massive manor, and talking with Howard and Edwin. Howard's attention is rarely in the moment, so any conversations with him were brief. However, they did get a tour of the aircraft hanger from Edwin and two of the grounds staff. Peggy is just as interested in the mechanics as Michael, but this doesn't surprise him. It pleases Edwin, who isn't used to female company. Being an incredibly tackful person, he talks about his previous life before meeting Howard, and skirts the subject of family with an impressive amount of skill. Michael notes this, and gives him a grateful smile.

The news comes at dinner on the second day. These meals were none the least of the wonders Michael and Peggy had experienced. Instead of a modest meatloaf, or occasional beef roast, the children were treated with roast chicken, pork chops, freshly baked bread in all shapes and sizes and desserts that started with cream, and normally ended with it. They were starting on this second course when Fury arrives and is greeted by one of the many butlers. He walks into the dining room and sits down, in a slow and portentous manner, on one of the end chairs. At the table sits only Michael and Peggy, since Edwin is helping Howard out with some experiment or other. 

Fury clears his throat. "They're dead." Says Peggy in a quiet tone. Both Michael and Fury jump slightly and turn to her. Peggy says nothing and just stares at her plate, a half eaten strawberry tart sitting in a puddle of melting ice cream. Michael looks back to Fury and sees silent confirmation in his eyes. "How-" He clears his throat. "How long did they…were they…"  
"They killed twelve of the men, but the last three overcame them. They died instantly. I'm… sorry." Fury doesn't quite know how to deal with children. They don't exactly pop up often in his field of work. He only deals with Howard because of his premature orphaned state, and the work his father did for him and his agents. In fact, that's why the children are here now - Mr and Mrs Carter requested their children be taken to the Stark Manor if their lives were ever compromised.

Michael looks back at Fury and nods slowly. He then looks back at his sister, and puts his arm around her shoulder. He expects her to lean in to him, to cry on his shoulder. He expects her to yell at Fury and tell him he's wrong, or that he could have done more. She doesn't. Her little, intelligent mind is past that stage. She just sits staring at her plate, slowly clenching and unclenching her fists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howard Stark's parents are canonically not millionaires, but it might have been a little hard for even Howard to gather enough money for a mansion in only 14 years...


End file.
